I Can't Bee Stopped!

I've been wanting to host a party for friends to let them know how special they are to me, how they've enriched my life and made me a better person. Problem is many don't know each other and come from all parts of my life. That's when I discovered a My Favorite Things Party on Pinterest. It's a girls party, like a shower with games and prizes, and involves shopping and gifts! I amped mine up using a theme of some of my favorite things - bees, black and white, arts and crafts, entertaining and my French ancestry. And to play off of my name, Deb Bee. A Queen Bee reigned over a happy hive of good natured, loving bee friends. It was a wonderful, joyful day that I'm still all abuzz and on a honey high!

• What People Ate

  Peach, blue cheese and honey drizzled crostini; hot cream cheese, Gorgonzola, dates and honey spread with pita bread; and crisps with ricotta, black raspberries and honey drizzle

• What People Drank

  Cucumber and mint infused water; sparkling rosemary and honey infused lemonade; and Bee Sting or Bourbon Buzz punch with sage and honey infusion

• Desserts

  Limoncello tiramisu; Oreo bee cookies; mini donut bee hive stacks; honey cream cupcakes, and mini teddy bear Meyer Lemon pound cake.

• Party Favors

  Bee pens, bee clothes pins, mini yellow bee baskets, queen bee crown clothespins w/honeycomb tablet, chevron and polka dot shopping bags, and honey dippers

• Activities / Games

  My Favorite Things, What's in Your Purse, and What's the Buzz games with bee themed prizes (soaps). Voting for Favorite Fashion, Favorite Package and Favorite Gift with bee hive soap dispenser, bee pot hugger, bee coffee mug and bee candle prizes. And, My Favorite Things gift exchange where each guest picked one item costing no more than $8 each and brought 3 of them, identically wrapped & tagged. They included bath/beauty, stationary, candles, beverages, tea, gourmet candy, paper products, kitchen gadgets, & favorite incredients (herb plants and honey) w/ recipe to use them. I also devised a wild honey card to add excitement to the exchange where people could sting (steal), save or claim a gift. As the queen bee I left the hive at the end of the exchange proclaiming colony collapse disorder - where everyone picked one of their gifts to pass to the left. Everyone left with three new favorite things, favors, prizes and extra desserts.